Trash agitating attachment for eave troughs



Sept. 26, 1950 H. w. JONES TRASH AGITATING ATTACHMENT FOR EAVE TROUGHS Filed Oct. 17, 1947 Henry W. Jones IN V EN TOR.

1 BY Q... m6.

Fatented Sept. 26 1956 i gmsnaamame ATTAcn-Mm'r'rea new reopens r i 'dienry'WV-f'flones, idlenandriaeivzt. u ,eiApplicatiomQctcher'1'7, I947;'seriarNmsonii f6 claims.

This inventionmelates to. a "device ,adaptedl'for attachment to an eave {troughaand :operatedlby the action of the.-windI for agitating loosenl ing-dir-t-and trashtwhich -maysfall inlor accumu- Iate within (the eave. .troug' h and/or its..-ldownspout,-.so thatsuch dirtandtrash=willibeqgeadily carried from-the eave troughland to Landethro gh thedoW-n-spout bywatersfrornlrainfallsgetc.

An object of'the present inventionisto provide a-device ofthmabove kind which ma be readily.

and effectively installed upon eave troughs of different sizes, ,andswhi chsmnys bfiareadily adjusted for effective operation regardless of the form of the eave trough or the size and location of the down-spout relative thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above kind which is simple and durable in construction and efficient in operation.

The exact nature of the present invention, as well as other objects and features thereof, will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an eave trough annd down-spout having an attachment applied thereto which is constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, and partly broken away. 7

Referring in detail to the drawing, indicates a conventional eave trough having an ordinary down-spout 6. The present attachment includes a support I for a rockshaft 8 adapted to extend across the eave trough 5 over the down-spout 6 and to be rigidly secured thereon. As' shown, the support 1 consists of a horizontal U-shaped wire frame member 9 having a down-turned intermediate portion 10 and parallel legs I l formed at their free ends with eyes l2, and a fiat plate l3 spanning and slidably mounted on the legs I l and having the rock shaft 8 journalled thereon intermediate and parallel with the legs H. The side edges of the plate l3 are rolled snugly about the legs II as at M to slidably mount said plate thereon so as to require some force in adjusting said plate longitudinally of said legs. The plate i3 is provided with upturned end reinforcing flanges l5 and Hi, the front flange [5 being folded upon itself. The rock shaft 8 is journalled in the flange I5 and in a bearing l6 provided on the rear portion of plate l3, and the front portion of said rock shaft projects forwardly of said flange l5 and has a depending wind vane l1 se- (GRIDS-28) cured'onthe'projeetingportionthereof *Thefai" end" of rock shaft "Rhas an extension which is refturnbent tofbrm'afloop f9gadaptedrtocoactwith 'theplate I 3"t0limit ro'king t'movement of" reels 5 jsh'aft 38 ,'and thisireturn bent'tjextensionfis ftwisted "about'rock :shaftiBas at 2.0 iandthen directed downwardly through"an"opening"2-li'in p1ate*-|*3'-to form (a... crank arm 22 which terminates; at' its "lower endbinan eyei2'3'. ,,A-fleiilbleragitating'elelu ment orch'ain .fis-"suspendedf from ,the crank arm 122 "by "having "an'endrlirlk thereof iengagediin the eye 23'; andithis element orjchain isiadal ted "to-depend "through "the eave trough 5' into the down-spout '6 when the device is installed for In use, as shown. Pivotally or loosely attached at one end to the element or chain '24, as at 24, is a lateral agitating rod 25. The rod 25 is attached at a point on the element 24 so that it will extend longitudinally in and adjacent the bottom 20 of the eave trough. A .wire 26 is centrally attached as at 26' to the intermediate portion I 0 of frame member 9, and has two strands 26a adapted to be brought under the cave trough at opposite sides of the down-spout and connected 2:; to the eyes l2 Of frame member 9, to secure the support 9 upon said eave trough. The free end portions of the leg II are bent downwardly toward and adjacent the front or outer side of the eave trough as shown, the portion In being 30 engaged behind the inner side of the eave trough. By adjusting the plate l3 longitudinally of legs I I, the element or chain 24 may be centered relative to the down-spout, regardless of the size and location of the latter relative to the cave 5 trough.

In operation, the rock shaft 8 is oscillated by the action of the wind on the vane 11, thereby swinging the element or chain 24 back and forth in the down-spout and reciprocating the rod 25 in 0 the cave trough adjacent the down-spout. In this way, dirt and trash in the eave trough and downspout is agitated and loosened so that it will readily flow from the eave trough to and through the down spout with water from rainfalls, etc.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the present invention will be readily under-' stood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Modifications and changes in details of construction are contemplated, such as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is: r

1. A trash agitating attachment for an eve trough, comprising a support adapted to extend across and rest upon the eave trough over its down-spout, a rock shaft journalled on and projecting outwardly from the support and having a depending crank arm, a lateral agitating rod loosely connected to the crank arm and adapted to extend longitudinally in and adjacent the bottom of the eave trough, and a depending wind vane secured on the projecting portioni'of thecrank shaft and adapted to occupy a position at the outer side of the cave trough to rock the rock shaft and reciprocate the agitating rod by the action of the wind thereon.

v adjustable on the frame parallel with the rock 2. A trash agitating attachment for an eave trough, comprising a support adapted to extend across and rest upon the eave trough over its down-spout, a rock shaft journalled on and. projecting outwardly from the support and having.

a depending crank arm, a, flexible agitating element suspended from the crank arm and adapted to extend downwardly into the down-spout, and a depending wind vane secured on the projecting portion of .the rock' shaft and adapted to occupy a position at the outer side of the eave trough to rock the rock shaft and swing the agitating element baclr' and forth by the action of the wind thereon.

3. The construction defined in claim 2, in com- I bination with a lateral agitating rod loosely connected to said flexible agitating element and adapted to extend longitudinally in and adjacent the bottom of the eave trough for being reciproshaft to center the flexible agitating element relative to the down-spout.

6. The construction defined in claim 2, wherein said support comprises a horizontal U-shaped frame member, and a mount for the rock shaft adjustable on said frame member parallel with the rock shaft, a wire anchored to the inter- 'mediate portion of said frame member and adapted to be connected to the free ends of the latter for securing the support on the eave trough, said intermediate portion of the frame member being down-turned to engage behind the inner side of the eave'trough, and the ends of said frame member being flexible for being bent downwardly adjacent the outer side of the eave trough. I

HENRY W. JONES.

No references cited. 

